City Commission Meeting Highlights

Tuesday, November 22, 2011

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Convention Center Independent Investigation

As a response to the recent embezzling of funds from the convention centers, Convention Center Corporation Chairman Jim Sigler requested from the Paducah City Commission funding to pay for half of the fee to hire an independent investigator.  Sigler recommends hiring Bowling Green-based law firm, English, Lucas, Priest, & Owsley.  With a 30 day turnaround, the law firm would investigate the financial policies and operations of the Convention Center Corporation in addition to potential means of recovery for the financial loss.  Sigler says, “We have no basis to point fingers, but we need to thoroughly investigate.”  Sigler adds the Convention Centers are continuing to have steady bookings and flowing operational dollars.  However, Sigler says, “We simply have more bills than we have resources to pay.”  The Mayor and Commission approved the following motion:   

I move that the Board of Commissioners support the recommendation of the City Manager to engage the outside counsel of English, Lucas, Priest & Owsley, LLP, which will partner with Carr, Riggs and Ingram, to examine operations of the Paducah-McCracken County Convention Center Corporation and assist in recovery of embezzled funds in an amount not to exceed $15,000, with the understanding that one-half of the funding will come from other sources.  Funding will be from the Administrative Contingency Fund and be placed into appropriate accounts. 

Riverfront Development Project Engineering Contract Modification (vote Nov. 29)

The Mayor and Commissioners introduced an ordinance to amend the contract with JJR, LLC for the professional engineering services for the Riverfront Development Project Phase I.  The City has recently come to an agreement with environmental petitioners concerned about the disturbing of endangered mussels along a section of the Paducah riverfront.  The agreement is to move the riverfront development project approximately 500 feet downstream to an area that has approximately a quarter of the density of mussels.  City Engineer-Public Works Director Rick Murphy says, “We could be challenged at other levels of the process, but we are in a better position to defend any future challenges.” The moving of the project will lead to some addition engineering design.  This ordinance amends the agreement with JJR in an amount not to exceed $125,000 for the re-design.  The new contract price with JJR will be $919,700.  Murphy showed the Mayor and Commission a timeline of the project.  Murphy says, “This is an aggressive schedule and a schedule we think we can meet.  We have compressed the schedule as much as we can.”  Over the next year and a half, JJR and the City will work to complete the design, permitting with various agencies, and bidding for Phase I of the riverfront project.  The expected groundbreaking will be June 2013 with the project to be completed in 2014.   

Riverfront Development Annexation

The Mayor and Commissioners approved an ordinance to re-annex a portion of the Ohio River along Paducah’s riverfront.  The re-annexation would allow the City of Paducah to have jurisdiction over future riverfront development including a marina and facilities.  An intent to re-annex ordinance was adopted by the Commission in August.  Since that time, the Planning Department has completed tasks for compliance with KRS 81A and 83A including the publication of the ordinance and a 60 day waiting period.  The area of the river to be re-annexed totals 208.7 acres.  If Washington and Campbell Streets were extended to the river, the re-annexed area is between those streets and extends out to the thread of the river (approximate center line based on contour elevations on each bank).  Historically, the boundary of the City of Paducah along the Ohio and Tennessee rivers extended to the low water line along the Illinois shore of the Ohio River and the low water line along Owens Island.  The boundary line was established by ordinance in 1871 and 1894.  However, in 1946 the City of Paducah de-annexed the river.  This ordinance is to re-annex a portion of the river along downtown Paducah.

Engineering Contract for the Noble Park Pool Renovation Project

The Mayor and Commissioners approved an ordinance for an agreement with Florence & Hutcheson, Inc. in the amount of $98,700 for professional engineering services association with the Noble Park Pool Renovation Project.  The services would include a code review, an existing conditions assessment, a preliminary engineering report, design and permitting, bidding and procurement, and construction administration services.  At the October 18 City Commission meeting, Parks Services Department Director Mark Thompson outlined a plan to renovate the Noble Park swimming pool and concession area.  Renovations are needed to enhance the concession area and extend the life of the pool including a chemical, filtration, mechanical, and electrical system.  Thompson says during the summer the pool loses more than 5000 gallons per day due to leaks in the piping.  The pool structure itself is in good shape.  However, the buildings to house the electrical components and the chemicals need to be replaced.  Currently, the concession area is not equipped to cook food such as hamburgers and hot dogs.  Thompson estimates the cost to renovate the pool and the concession area between $700,000 and $800,000.  The last time the pool was significantly renovated was in 1992 when the current metal liner, water slide, and fountain were added.   The pool rehabilitation would start next August after the pool closes for the summer season.  City Manager Jeff Pederson says the funding for the engineering services will come from the Investment Fund.  An average of 400 visitors per day enjoy the Noble Park pool during the summer. 

 Quick Highlights:

• Presentations were made to the following four businesses as recipients of the Civic Beautification Board’s 2011 Annual Business Awards: Allen Music, Inc.; Lourdes Hospital, The Norman and Mary Rose Higdon Greenberg Garden; McDonalds on Jackson Street; and SERVPRO of Paducah & Broadway Interiors.
• Ordinance approved to purchase a fire rescue vehicle in the amount of $149,460 from Kovatch Mobile Equipment Corporation.
• Ordinance approved to accept a Kentucky Office of Homeland Security Grant in the amount of $60,000 to be used for the purchase of hand-held radios and other equipment for the police department.  No local match is required.
• Ordinance introduced (vote Nov. 29) to purchase 11 decorative street lights in the amount of $43,788.20 to be installed on Clark Street, Marine Way, Adams Street, and within the new Marine Way/Adams Street public parking lot next to the new P&L Headquarters.  A total of $63,000 will be transferred from the Investment Fund Economic Reserve account for the lights and the expenses involved in their installation.
• Ordinance introduced (vote Nov. 29) to close the alley located between 27th and 28th Streets and Washington Street and Kentucky Avenue.
• Ordinance introduced (vote Nov. 29) to purchase, in the amount of $134,253.90 using the State contract, five 2012 Dodge Charger Pursuit Vehicles for the police department.
• Commissioner Gayle Kaler commented on her recent trip to South Korea with Mary Hammond and Rosemarie Steele of the Convention & Visitors Bureau.  The purpose of the trip was to represent Paducah as the City strives to achieve the UNESCO Creative Cities designation.  Kaler says, “Creative industries are gaining momentum in the global economy.”  Kaler adds, “(It was great) to hear from cities much larger than us that we are doing a good job.”

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